Only Weakness
by RedMonster111
Summary: After being left at some human village, Rin becomes a demon slayer. What happens when her Lord comes back to see her? Will she try to kill him, or will she see the good in him afterall?
1. Goodbye

" _This is your last chance, Sesshomaru…"_ his mother said as she put the necklace around the human child's neck. Confusion and… hope arise in him, both emotions that were foreign to him.

He watched while she took in a breathe of life again. Happiness coursed throughout his chest and mind, making him unable to see anyone else in the room besides a worthless, useless, girl child whom he's taken care of too many times.

And she only saw him, the feel of his hand onher cheek was unfamiliar to her, but she loved every moment of it. She's only seen him since the day she opened her eyes to life the first time he saved her. She followed him because… because what else  
was she to do? Stay in a hollow village with death all around it? No, she wanted to follow the strong, powerful Lord demon, Sesshomaru.

He wanted her safe, always. In this world, he knew such a wish was almost impossible. Especially for humans, their weak bodies were so easy to suck the life out of. He hated them, but not this one. He would rather her live than he, he's proved it so many  
times by hisactions, never feeling the need to saying anything like it out loud.

After leaving the castle of his mother, Rin by his side and Kohaku close behind with Jaken, the company went, all theirhearts overjoyed by Rin's life returning.

All except Sesshomaru. This truly was his last chance to keep her safe, he couldn't revive her any longer. He wasn't sure what he felt exactly, but it could have been fear. Fear for her life. He had many enemies, and Naraku was powerful and merciless.  
Sesshomaru needed to defeat this evil in the world. If not, there wouldn't be a world for Rin anymore, or for himself at that point.

Sesshomaru knew what he needed to do.

It was time to say goodbye to the human girl, one of the only priceless things in his life.

* * *

"Rin," said the monotone voice of a silver haired dog demon.

The young girl looked at her Lord and smiled the biggest smile he's seen in a long time.

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked in her high pitched voice that almost annoyed Sesshomaru on certain days.

"Come with me," he said, turning and walking, not waiting for the girl to catch up. Moments later, she was by her side.

"WAIT FOR ME MASTER!" screamed a needy little Jaken.

Sesshomaru turned andgave his minion a glare, making him stop in his place. Jaken was confused and started tearing up. _Master… Don't leave me behind with the strange boy,_ he thought, looking at Kohaku.

Kohaku was also confused, it had been 3 days since Rin's revival. Lord Sesshomaru at first seemedhappier than usual, but he was always staring off into space at random times. He was thinking to himself more often, and sometimes watching Rin while  
she slept, as if she was going to disappear during the night.

 _He feels guilty_ thought Kohaku. Lord Sesshomaru always confused Kohaku. Here was this powerful, proud, young demon. And he was "wasting his time" with this usual human girl. She held a spot in him, it was obvious to everyone. It was never said,  
but it was always there.

Kohaku was taught that demons that pose as humans were the most dangerous. Lord Sesshomaru was one of them and he was dangerou. One of the most dangerous demons he's ever come across, but then why would he care for a child the way he does? If Lord Sesshomaru  
was the only one who could defeat Naraku, having a weakness like Rin could be fatal.

Meanwhile, Lord Sesshomaru was watching Rin run around in a field of flowers, hearing her laugh and scream as he picked her favorites.

Rin also thought it was strange for her Lord to be alone with her like this. She loved being with him, he was her silent Lord. His silence was a part of his strength, she knew that. That didn't stop her from talking nonstop about whatever came to mind.

She looked at the flowers surrounding her and saw a deep orange one, a flower that reminded her of her Lord's own eyes. His eyes were the color of a sunset, the color of a sunrise, beautiful and golden. And his hair was the snow after a storm, it was  
the ice and the clouds. She only saw him in her life now, she was completely trusting in him.

 _I will follow him forever,_ thought Rin, still staring at the flower. She chuckled at the thought of her becoming old and him still being young looking, but always wiser than her. Always saving her from whatever complications appear before them.  
And one day she'll be able to save him… maybe, should he ever need saving. She wants to be less of a burden on her master so she will learn to defend herself, from everything and everyone.

Sesshomaru looked at his child companion and kept thinking about his decision to leave her with a village. It had taken all his efforts to not think about it, but he was mainly unsuccessful. Her wellbeing took over his mind the past few days. He can't  
take his eyes off of her, this constant… _paranoia_ was consuming him. He knew it was a weakness to have such thoughts and fear over a simple human.

But to him, she wasn't simple. She was so complex, even his demon mind couldn't pin her down exactly. Her smile made his chest swell with something like pride. Maybe pride in the fact that his mere human held him with such devotion and trust. And now..  
He was going to break that trust by leaving her.

 _She'll understand when she's older,_ thoughtSesshomaru. Right now, she'll hate him. Maybe she won't ever trust him again. But that won't matter regardless. He won't ever be seeing her again anyway, a thought that made his stomach curl. He  
ignored all the emotions that came with leaving her, he had to. Emotions made him weak, he couldn't succumb to that.

"Rin, it's time to leave," Rin heard Lord Sesshomaru say in his calm yet dominating voice.

"Okay Lord Sesshomaru!" she yelled back, running with her arms out, laughing.

After a few moments of comfortable silent walking, Rin began to wonder where she and her Lord were going. She didn't recognize anything around her, which is usual, considering they travel new lands all the time.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where are we going?" she asked, looking up at him.

He was so much taller than her, she knows she will never reach his height, even when she matures. She'll never match his beauty either, no one ever could. He was lean, tall, maybe even slender. She was proud to be in the company of such a strong demon.

Sesshomaru said to the girl that they were going to a village. She questioned as to why they would do that.

"There's nothing in a village that could aid us, is there Lord Sesshomaru?" she questioned, getting more and more confused.

"Don't concern yourself with it," he said, looking away from her to hide his guilt.

He's never told her where to go, he's never told her to stop following him. If she wanted to follow him, then she would. Atfirst, it was no concern to him. He didn't care if a human was following, as long as she didn't get into the way of his business.  
But eventually, she was his business. When Naraku kidnapped her the first time, he knew it was his duty to rescue her.

 _Pitiful,_ thought Lord Sesshomaru, hating his care over the girl. He thought himself pitiful for his care over her. And it was, in the demon world. He would be laughed at and thought less of because of this human girl that followed him everywhere.  
He should hate her, killing her would be too easy now. But killing her would… _No._

"Lord Sesshomaru, is that the village you need to go to?" he heard Rin ask, taking him out of his daydream.

He looked up to see a very quaint village. It seemed prosperous enough, the fields were large and from here he could see the house of the lord of the small village. He stopped in his tracks. He couldn't go any farther.

He looked to Rin, and she looked at him, smiling. In her eyes, he could see all her comfort with him, there was no fear or distrust in them. Only complete **devotion**. He felt a tightening in his chest.

 _Say goodbye._ Ordered Sesshomaru to himself.

"Rin. You need to stay here," he said, looking away toward the village.

The young girl looked to her master, confusion in her dark brown eyes.


	2. Alone

"I don't understand, my Lord," said young Rin.

He looked down at her again, making eye contact with her round brown eyes. The tightening in his chest was getting worse.

"You must stay here for now, Rin," he said, his voice still calm and demanding.

She squinted her eyes and furrowed her brows at him, still not sure what he could possibly mean. Rin looked toward the village and felt tears make her eyes heavy.

"When are you coming back to get me, Lord Sesshomaru?" she whimpered out, trying to make it sound like she wasn't crying. She didn't want her Lord to see her as weak.

He didn't answer, he didn't feel he needed to break her heart anymore by saying it out loud.

"My Lord… please, don't leave me here! I'll be better, I won't get hurt anymore, I promise. I'll learn to take care of myself! Just don't leave me here, Lord Sesshomaru, I don't want to be here without you!" she fell to her knees and put her face to the  
ground, bowing to her demonic Lord.

He looked down at her, his face emotionless and calm, and thought, _she thinks of herself as a burden._

She wasn't wrong, but she was a burden that he was more than capable and willing to take care of.

"I will follow you silently for now on, Lord Sesshomaru. Don't leave me with these humans, I'll do my best Lord Sesshomaru!" Her cries got quieter, but she was still pleading.

 _Stupid girl. She doesn't understand,_ thought Sesshomaru. "Stand up, Rin" he ordered her to do.

She obeyed his orders, trying to make him hate her less. She didn't understand, how could he leave her with nothing but a village with people she didn't know? She hasonly served him with loyalty, how could he abandon her. He must hate her for dying  
again, he didn't seem to hate her when she woke up, he seemedso much happier. Inhis own way, he seems relieved. But she did notice how distant he got over the past few days, she couldn't understand why.

"I am not leaving you here because I am angry with you," he said in his rich voice.

She looked up to be disappointed and to see only the side of his face, other than the orange of his eyes. _He can't even look at me._

"I am leaving you here to keep safe. I cannot protect you anymore, Rin," he said, not finding the strength to look to her.

 _You can always protect me, Lord Sesshomaru._ She was unaccustomed to arguing with her Lord. Everyone was, he wasn't someone you fight with verbally. His voice was too dominate. She didn't know what to do, she was only crying. She felt as if her  
Lord had struck her with his own sword in the chest.

"I won't ever see you again?" she mumbled, after accepting her fate.

Sesshomaru asked himself the same question. Could he go through with the rest of her life without ever gazing upon her smile again? Or never hearing her laugh? He wasn't sure.

"I will return," he said, "I don't know when."

Her heart beat a little faster, she realized she was holding her breathe. _He will return one day._

"Lord Sesshomaru… don't forget about me," she said, looking up at her Lord, her King, her one and only Sesshomaru.

"Don't say such foolish things," he said, putting his hand on her cheek, making her face turn more red.

She smiled a little at the gesture, and grabbed his hand in her's, although his hand was significantly bigger than hers, she knew that his hand was the only hand she wanted to hold.

A bright white light blinded her, making her close her eyes, and the hand on her cheek slipped out of her grasp.

She was alone.


	3. Forgetting

She was alone and scared. felt almost as bad as the day her whole family died. Like the whole world was slowly breaking, crumbling around her. There was no way that she could make herself feel better, she only knew how to keep walking.  
The villagers looked kind enough, and she could even hear children running and playing around.

She started walking into the unknown village, people were looking at her with concern on their faces. The path that she was taking at the moment was between the different fields of fruit and vegetables. She could feel the sun, it was very hot today. The  
ground was rough and nothing but rocks, to what it felt like. The field workers looked to be both men and women, she wonders who could possibly be playing with the children in everyone else is working.

As Rin was looking around her, a woman ran into her with the basket of peaches.

"Oh, excuse me, miss," she said, looking at the girl with black hair and no shoes.

What a strange child. Her face is wet with tears and her kimono looks so dirty and thrashed. It's as if this child was traveling, she looks alone now.

"What's your name?" said the woman, kneeling down to meet her eyes.

Rin looked at the woman, she noticed she had a horrible scar going from the top of her forehead to the top lip of her mouth. She was wearing a comfortable kimono, long, but plain. This must be a farming village, like the one that Rin came from. The woman  
had brown hair and almost black eyes. She wasn't the most beautiful woman Rin has ever seen, but she was very pretty. She looked to be about 18, 10 years older than herself.

"My name is Rin," replied Rin, wanting to cry again.

"Hello Rin, my name is Azumi. Where is your family? I have never seen you here before." Said Azumi.

Her voice was silky and kind to Rin, but Rin now wonders if she ever had a good family. Her blood family was good, she had loving parents and 2 brothers. But was Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken… were they ever her family?

Rin shrugged her shoulders and said, "I need a new one."

Azumi was taken back by her words, but she didn't question it. She took Rin to her home with her husband and newborn daughter. This Rin child went through a lot in her short, short life, that much Azumi knew. She also knew that a child with a new wound  
needed to be loved, but given enough space to heal herself.

Meanwhile, a golden-eyed demon watched as Rin was taken into a family's home. Painful, but he was proud that Rin didn't go looking for him right away. She obeyed… because she trusts him. She trusts him to return to her. He will one day. For now, he needs  
to defeat the one called Naraku. He was the only reason that Sesshomaru couldn't keep his little human around.

On the flight to Jaken and Kohaku, Sesshomaru made himself stop thinking of her. He needed to let go as well like her. His only concern was if she would ever forgive him for what he caused her.

"I need a new one," she had said. A new family, a new life. She had gotten a new family once and hewas making her get another new one. In hopes that this one actually sticks around.

 _This is no concern of mine anymore_. He thought to himself. _I will forget about her just as she forgets about me. I will NOT have anymore weaknesses. I will become the most powerful demon and surpass my father by defeating Naraku._

"Lord Sesshomaru!" he heard Jaken's annoying voice call out to him, taking his mind off of his own personal agenda.

 _Where is Rin?_ Thought Kohaku immediately when he saw Lord Sesshomaru fly into view. He wasn't holding her, and she wouldn't be holding on to the back of him. When Lord Sesshomaru landed, Kohaku questioned him about Rin's whereabouts.

"I left her in a human village," he explained to the boy.

Annoying brat.

"Why would you do such a thing as to leave Rin somewhere, Master?" asked Jaken, his voice a little shaky.

Lord Sesshomaru looked toward his new destination, ignoring Jaken's question.

Sesshomaru retreated to the part his mind that was only thinking about strategy, his exterior appeared to be hollow and uninterested in the fact that a little girl isn't humming a tune near him, or sleeping soundly. There was no child picking flowers  
for him anymore, this would have to be something he got used to again… the silence.

"Why did you leave her there, Lord Sesshomaru?" asked Kohaku this time. Kohaku sounded angry and hurt.

"Don't speak to me in such a tone," said Sesshomaru in a voice that could make anyone do as they were told.

"She is there because that is the logical place for a human child. Not alongside a demon, understand?" he explained, looking in a different direction, not facing Kohaku's dumbfounded stare.

"If you wish to join her, than go. I am going to kill Naraku whether you're here or not," he said, taking off in the air.

Kohaku stared at the demon. He was guilty of thinking of Rin as his weakness, but he never thought Lord Sesshomaru would actually let her go. Kohaku knows that it must hard for him, but even harder on the little girl. He knows her story, and losing her  
Lord would kill her. She admires him with all her heart, she trusts him.

Poor little Rin he thought to himself, taking off on Au-Un with Jaken following Sesshomaru.

* * *

 _After a little time, Rin will become used to the village,_ thought Azumi. It had been 2 days since the child entered her life. She barely speaks, but she is finally going outside with the other children. Her husband needed a little convincing to  
allow the strange child to stay in their home, but he said that he would give her a few months to recover from whatever ails her.

For his wife's sake, at least.

Azumi feels for the child that is with her, she understands what it's like to need a new family. When Azumi was young, her family was attacked by a strong bat demon. He ate up her entire family, leaving the most delicious, Azumi, last. Being the swift  
child that she was, she tried to run, but her captives, lower bat demons, kept her there. They punished her by slashing her face with their sharp, sharp claws, leaving behind the scar.

Suddenly, a group of demon slayers came into the cave that she was being held captive and was able to defeat the strong bat demon. The lesser demons ran in fear. Azumi married one of those demon slayers, Hitoshi, and now have a beautiful daughter. Azumi  
will never forget that day.

She will understand Rin's pain as soon as it is told to her. Azumi believed that.

To other people of the village, Rin stuck out too much. She was quiet, she was strange. The headman of the village agreed that she may stay as long as she worked. Azumi explained this to Rin and she only shrugged.

While the children play, Rin was too busy occupying her time with her thoughts and staring at the space where Sesshomaru left her. She was angry, and hurt. And betrayed. But she was also certain that one day her Lord will come back to her. As long as  
nothing happened to him… she knew that Naraku was a threat, but she knew with all her heart that Sesshomaru would defeat him.

 _Maybe my Lord was right. I am safer here._ She thought to herself, but it didn't seem right. Rin was never safe with humans, her entire family was killed by them. Rin's depression was too obvious to the other children. Someof the boys tried  
getting her to play with them, but she looked away. They have never known the pain that she does. The war barely reached this part of the land, and demons rarely came around these parts. Even if they did, they had a few demon slayers and soldiers  
ready for an attack, it was safe here for humans. They were so prosperous. No one knew the pain she held, except Azumi.

Azumi promised to herself that she would not give up on this child that came into her life, Rin was her's now. Even if Rin didn't know it. She cares about Rin as much as her newborn child.

"Rin, could come here please?" asked Azumi, calling out to Rin by her hut.

Rin stood up at the voice calling her, obedient as always.

"Rin, it's been two days now… could you please tell me what has happened with you and your family?" she begged for the first time to the child. "I care about you. I have also been through tough timesin life. You can trust me."

Rin looked at the scarred woman. She was kind and thoughtful, Rin knew that much. But could she trust her?

"My Lord left me here," said Rin, tears becoming apparent again.

 _Her Lord?_ "You traveled with a Lord?"

Rin went on and on about Lord Sesshomaru, Naraku, Jaken, and everything else in her life that needed to be spoken.

Such a young girl to go through so much. And this… Lord Sesshomaru. He seemed very dangerous. But he also seemed to care about Rin, from how she talks about him. She admires him, Azumi understood what it was like to care about your hero. Azumi looked  
to her sleeping husband and thought about when he saved her, although he may be much older, she loved him with every being in her. And was glad to be given a daughter for themto raise.

That is how Rin must feel about her demon Lord. Azumi always thought that demons were evil and dark, but from the way that Rin describes Lord Sesshomaru, he must have not been too horrible. Her husband has met demons that appear human as well, and concluded  
that not all of them were horrible. Most demons actually just want control over other demons, most do not give humans their time of day. _Unless their hungry,_ thought Azumi. Sesshomaru wasn'tlike the others, he cared for Rin. Bringing her  
back to life, twice… that's more than any other demon or humanwould've thought to do.

After sending Rin back out, Azumi sat beside her new born daughter. _I wonder what it's like, being a greatdemon who cared only about a small human._ "It must have been hard," she mumbled to herself, looking at her child who was sleeping  
next to her. Demons live hundreds of years, caring about a mortal when you are immortal, it must be difficult. Thinking about it Sesshomaru's point of view, sending her away to live with humans was the safest, and most logical. But difficult all the  
same.

* * *

Missing Rin wasn't what Sesshomaru wanted to do. He wanted to forget about the human girl that he almost killed in the process for more power, and the condescending stare his mother, of all people, gave him. He was the most powerful demon in the land,  
yet he couldn't get one simple little girl out of his head?

It was clear that everyone else also missed the child. It was to be expected, however. Jaken thought about thier annoying trifles they would have. Kohaku was upset that he didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. It doesn't make a difference, he supposed,  
she was gone either way. He just hopes the little girl finds happiness, without being around her Lord.

Kohaku glanced at the dog demon that took him and Rin under him, caring for the both of them. His temper has gotten worse, but nothing Kohaku couldn't handle. Rin was his windthat blew away the fumes of anger. She had a way to almost control him.  
Shewas never scared, either. Even when he transformed in front of her to his true demonic state, she trusted him to not hurt her.

The golden eyed demon knew that too, her trust in him was without question. _But now… Now she must hate the thought of me_. thought the Lord.

I must forget about her.


	4. First Kill

**Okay, so this is the FOURTH chapter and I don't think I'm going to continue this unless I get anymore R &R about it Dx**

 **I love this story and I think it's going to a lot of places that I would LOVE to write about!**

 **FOLLOW AND FAVORITE PLEASE SO I KNOW IT'S LIKED DX DX DX**

 **Disclaimer: (I don't see why this is necesary, if I OWNED the Inuyasha characters, i would be typing about them right now... ;) so no, I don't own any of them.**

"Rin! That's enough training for one day, you've proved you're an excellent shot already. Can we please go inside?" pleaded Taki, Azumi's first daughter.

Rin shot another arrow into the target set before her, making it dead center as usual.

"As if that's enough training, Little Taki, how do you expect me to kill anything with horrible aim like that?!" joked back Rin, knowing full well that she could hit a target a mile away perfectly. "Now I just need to do spear throwing!" exclaimed the 13 year old prodigy.

Hiro looked at the two girls that he helped raise, both were born-to-be fighters. He could already see that in his real daughter, Taki. But Rin, she was a fighter because she worked so hard. She took all her anger and put it into an arrow and a bow. It was truly a sight to see, a 13 year with better aim than even he.

"Enjoying the quiet, husband?" asked Azumi, who was swollen with a second child.

"Those two, quiet? I wish. I hope this one would rather study all day than fight," said Hiro, kissing Azumi's belly.

It had been 5 years since Rin was accepted into Hiro's family. She was maturing, at a rate that even surprised Azumi. She was taller, although her body was awkward with mis proportioned shaped bottom and chest. Her stomach was as flat and straight as a sword, making the waist look very uncurved. Although, Azumi remembers being awkwardly shaped as well, she could tell that one day, Rin would be as beautiful as the sky.

"Riiiiiin! Let me see the bow! I wanna try! I wanna try!" yelled out Taki, running towards Rin as fast as possible, pushing Rin onto her back.

"Hey, Taki! You know you're not allowed to touch weapons until you're 10 years old! That's what momma said," yelled Rin, gently pushing the child off of her.

"You don't have to tell her, Rin! It could be a secret," whispered Taki, reaching for the weapon.

All of a sudden, the ground started shaking.

"Earthquake?!" called out Azumi.

Then a giant centipede crawled out of the ground, right next to Rin and Taki. The ground became more stable while the centipede stopped, smelling for food. The centipede was more than 100 feet tall, and didn't have eyes. Sight and sound were it's only means of finding food. It's mouth was huge, with hundreds and hundreds of little sharp teeth.

"Dada!" called out the child running towards Hiro.

"No, Taki! Stay still!" yelled out Rin to Taki.

It was already too late, the giant demonic centipede spit out some sort of white liquid from its mouth at Taki, trapping her legs in the mush. "Rin!" called out Taki, who was screaming frantically, trying to rip her leg out of the sticky mush.

The centipede took off, making the ground shake again. Rin fell on to her knees. She grabbed an arrow and shot it as close to the head at she could without getting close to Taki. The creature stopped its pursuit and gave off an awful shriek, making Rin cover her ears and drop all of her arrows and bow. After it was done screaming, it turned and went after Rin, its huge mouth open so wide, it could swallow her whole.

"Oh no," mumbled Rin, jumping out of the way as soon as the centipede was close enough to just miss. The demon bug squashed her bow and arrows in it's pursuit. Rin stood and ran to Taki, while the centipede was confused on where it's attacker went.

Rin tried pulling Taki out of the muck, but was too sticky to even touch, Rin couldn't get the crying child out. Hiro came from his hut after grabbing two swords; one for him and the other for Rin, the daring girl.

"Rin, take this, help me kill the demon," he said to her, handing her the weapon.

"I've never used a sword before," she explained.

"Just stay with Taki until more fighters come out here, protect my daughter!" he yelled, running after the creature.

The bug was running throughout the fields, it was so incredibly fast, Rin wondered how she was possibly able to jump out of its way. It had a thousand legs, all used for running at top speed. Rin inspected the few fighters near it, they were confusing it, which made it angrier and angrier. It was yelling, until it started digging a new hole in the middle of the field. No one could get a shot on it.

The ground started shaking again, right underneath Rin and Taki. Rin looked around, hoping it didn't create a hole for her and Taki to fall into, right beneath them. This all the luck in the world, it came out of the ground about 20 feet from her. Rin looked at the magnificent demon, raising her sword to it.

The sword itself should've been too heavy for a young girl like Rin, but the adrenaline made it so light.

 _I need to cut THROUGH its mouth!_ Thought Rin. She ran far enough away from Taki, yelling as she went, calling the demon to her.

The creature started running towards her again, but this time she was perfectly in control. As soon as she knew she wouldn't have another opportunity, she jumped to the side, landing on her feet and held the sword straight ahead of her. Causing the bug the move into the sword, cutting into it very deep. Blood poured all over the ground and the bug screamed much louder than it did before. Rin didn't hear it, she was focussed on staying on her two feet from the force of the running monster.

When the creature stopped moving, Rin knew it was dead. She looked at the demon again, looked at the damage that she had caused to it. I killed this beautifully strong demon… by myself.

Rin let go of the sword, but it didn't fall for it was too far into the demon to fall.

"Rin!" yelled Azumi, who was running towards her, with tears in her eyes.

Rin turned to her and was embraced lovingly and protectively. She kept mumbling to Rin that everything was okay, and that she did a great thing.

Letting go of the preteen child, Azumi knelt and said, "You saved the village, Rin!"

Her face was wet with tears, but he was smiling throughout all of it. By then, the rest of the villagers were cheering for the girl who saved them all. Some of the men were glaring, at the jealousy of not being the ones to kill the creature, but they were grateful none the less.

Rin was smiling at the rest of the village, full of pride. But… then the image of a strong silver-haired demon came to her mind. Would he be proud of her? _No. I won't think about him._ thought Rin, not wanting to ruin the moment she was having right now. She was the hero of the village, she killed a terrorizing demon.

Suddenly, Hiro walked up, with a still crying Taki on his shoulders, and asked, "How does it feel to kill your first demon?" with a smirk because he knew.

He knew that it was the most riveting feeling anyone could feel.

"It feels… I can't believe it!" she said, laughing and smiling so wide.

Everyone in the village agreed to make a great feast for the family that took in Rin. It was a day of celebration.

 _But then why do I feel so sad? Just because… he's not here, it doesn't mean anything. I don't need him. I… hate that demon._

Rin tried for the first 2 years to believe that Lord Sesshomaru would come back for her. But eventually, she lost all hope in her former Lord. She tried convincing herself to keep hoping, but the years turned into 5, she was now a demon slayer. And he was a demon. It was all pointless now, to hope he would come back.

 _I'm never going to see him again…_

The thought made Rin stop in her tracks, not without being noticed. Azumi looked at the child that she knew was thinking about a certain demon that she was so admiring of.

"Rin, come on. This is your day, now," said Azumi with a smile, holding out a hand to Rin.

Rin looked at her hand, then her face. Rin put a huge smile on her face, taking her 'mother's' hand.

xxx

"Another great foe defeated, my Lord!" yelled out Jaken to his master, who had just finished slaying a great boar demon. ALthough, not so great compared to Sesshomaru.

Jaken looked at the now dead demon who was threatening his life. Sesshomaru couldn't've been less amused by this demon's attempts. He was as slow as he was fat. Fighting was becoming a bore to Sesshomaru, he had no challenges. Not in this part of the lands anyway. He was Lord of the West, most, if not all, the demons in the area stayed to themselves, because they were scared of him. He was almost the most feared in the west.

 _But why was Lord Sesshomaru not satisfied with this feat_ , thought Jaken.

 _It's because a certain human child is not here to congratulate him._ Jaken knew more than anyone, that leaving behind the child made Sesshomaru's temper and patience thin. He's received more blows to the head than anyone by Sesshomaru because he annoyed his Lord too much a certain day.

"Where does my Lord intend to travel to, today?" asked Jaken to the blank Sesshomaru.

 _Annoying little imp_ , thought Sesshomaru, walking past Jaken.

Since Sesshomaru left Rin, he hadn't been back to her village at all. He wasn't even sure if she was still alive. It had only been 5 years. 5 years to a demon was a breeze in the wind. 5 years to a human was 5 years of aging and maturing. And Rin was a child, she would be grown by now. Sesshomaru rarely thought of the child, but he found himself missing her when he returned from a long journey.

He noticed flowers that she would've liked. _Disgusting flowers, full of pollen and bugs._

He noticed rivers that Rin would've wanted to fish in. _The smell of fish is nauseating._

"Jaken," said Sesshomaru calmly.

"Yes, my Lord?" asked Jaken, coming to his master's side.

"Go to my castle. I will be there shortly," he ordered, turning into a ball of bright white light, flying towards the village where he left Rin.

Oh great… now I need to serve my Lord's heartless mother, thought the sad imp demon.

Sesshomaru was smelling the air, looking for any sign of Rin he could.

He wasn't sure why he was going to the human village, but he needed to know if the child he left here was still alive. He hadn't seen her in years, he could accept the fact that he cared. But he wouldn't have her see him, he wasn't even sure if the child wanted to see him anymore.

He caught the scent of demonic blood, along with Rin's scent. She smelled different, but he could tell it was her, he would never forget it.

The scent of demonic blood made him fly even faster, almost hitting a tree. This feeling of… panic wasn't new to this demon, but he didn't like the feeling of being useless. Rin made him feel like this too many times before when she was traveling with him.

When he reached the village, he stopped and hid in the tree tops surrounding the village. He saw the corpse of a centipede demon and a girl holding the sword that killed it.

 _No… that couldn't be..._

"Rin!" he heard a woman yell, running towards the girl, maybe even, the young woman and embracing her.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened at the realization.

That girl is Rin. She killed that demon, on her own. Sesshomaru felt his chest swell with pride. The human child he revived killed a strong demon. She must have been training, like she said she would when he left her. Sesshomaru looked as the whole village cheered for her. He saw her smile again… that smile that made him care in the first place

 _She is happy here._

Sesshomaru watched until Rin went inside with the pregnant woman. He wanted to go to her, to be with her, but she seemed happy here. She was prosperous here, without him. _and safe._ he added.

He left when the sun went down, after she was paraded through the village as a hero.

 _Goodbye Rin, stay safe._

xxx

"You'll soon become one of the best slayers in the land!" yelled one of the men that were walking beside the triumphant young woman.

Rin smiled and thanked the man for his kind words.

In the corner of her eye, she saw a bright white light fly out of the distance.

 _Lord Sesshomaru?_ she thought. She turned her head to watch the white light disappear.

 _No, it couldn't have been. Just my imagination._


	5. Festival

"Rin, you need to pay attention!" yelled Azumi to the young Rin.

"Mother, I'm not interested in learning all of this. I have no interest in going to festival, or wearing any fancy kimonos," said Rin, argueing with Azumi again.

"I don't care if you have no interest in it, you're going! And that is final. Now put this on!" she yelled again, forcing a pink kimono into Rin's calloused hands.

Rin rolled her eyes and walked out of their little hut.

 _Festivals are for women who actually have interests in marriage or family._ thought Rin to herself, sitting down on the little green hill that she made her first kill on.

Every since that day, 4 years ago, she's been training to kill demons as well as she could. And she was good at it. She was one of the best in land, hardly anyone could come close to her skill. Even the man that raised her wasn't as good as she at this  
point in her life. She preferred using a bow and arrow, but if the demon was too great, she could rely on her instinctive sword fighting, or hand-to-hand combat skills. She rarely ever missed her target with her arrow and despite her being more petite  
than broad, she could wield a sword as well as any man.

She made her sword from the teeth of the Centipede demon, the teeth were light, but as sharp as razors and as strong as iron. She learned how to make swords with fire and how to bend bones into many different forms. Her most formidable foe was a giant  
Hawk demon, whom took the shape of a human. The demon was the queen of the Hawks in the land to the east of Rin's village. She could control hundreds of birds, and demon birds, which made Rin very overwhelmed. But she trusted her armor to protect  
her skin and head from the talons, and she used her arrow to strike the Queen demon straight to the heart.

Rin preferred fighting by herself, having people around her made her feel pressured to protect than to kill, it was a distraction. She fought with Hiro sometimes, but she still didn't feel comfortable. He was a formidable partner in fighting, but the  
thought of being responsible for his death was too much for Rin to deal with when she was trying to kill something.

 _That's why I don't want a husband._ thought Rin.

A husband meant having to take care of someone, or being controlled by someone else. That wasn't a life that Rin wanted. She wanted the freedom to fight and the freedom to leave and return when she wished. But.. she was a young woman, she had to settle  
down at some point with a family. She couldn't live with Hiro's family forever.

 _I wish I could leave, I wish they would let me._

* * *

The kimono fit as well as Rin thought it would. It was too big on her, she had a very tiny waist, Azumi rarely ever got her measurements correct. Sewing wasn't one of Rin's best skills, so Azumi continued to make her clothing. Azumi didn't like buying  
clothes, she made all her children's clothing. It was a special time when anyone bought anything that couldn't be made at home. The nearest market place to their village was a day's journey.

The festival was closer than the market was, the whole family was going. Little Taki wasn't too little anymore, she was almost Rin's height. Although Rin didn't grow much since she was 12. Rin grew more outward. Her chest was more mature, the most mature  
they will get anymore, and her waist was thin, making her curves very proportionate. She was a beautiful girl, you wouldn't expect such a girl to be one of the best demon slayers. You wouldn't expect a girl like her to be so strong.

"Rin! Do you think you'll meet someone tonight?" asked Taki, who was helping her little brother get dressed.

 _I highly doubt it,_ Thought Rin, but couldn't say it out loud. Her family wants her to be happy, they just don't know that being alone is what would make Rin happy.

"Maybe," she told her.

Most girls that are Rin's age are married or are to be soon. Rin has never even kissed a boy before, she never had an interest in any of the men that came to her. They all seemed too… weak in her eyes. If she was going to marry anyone, he would have to  
be strong. Someone that Rin wouldn't have to worry about, someone she _knew_ could handle themselves like she does for herself. Someone like _him._

 _No. Don't think about him._ Rin thought immediately. Thinking about him wasn't something she did often and if she did, it was when she was fighting another demon, a powerful demon. She thought about him then because she wondered about what he  
would do in her situation.. or she would think about whether or not he was impressed with her abilities.

It's been 7 years away from him, yet she still had to fight herself not to think about him. She couldn't let that happen, she would become sad about the fact that he said he would come back, but he hasn't. He hasn't been in her life for most of her life  
now. He was her weakness at this point, and she couldn't have that. If she's even distracted by emotions for a moment in a battle, it would be her life.

Rin went to grab her bow and arrow off of her bed, but was slapped gently on the hand by Azumi.

"No one is bringing weapons today," she demanded.

"What? Azumi, I never leave without a weapon! What if something happens?" argued Rin.

"There are guards that can kill any demon that attacks us, don't worry," she said, turning around.

"The guards? They're almost incompetent, mother. I don't trust them for a second."

"We are trying to find you a man that you might have an interest in, Rin, you need to move out soon, whether that is with a man or not. You're almost 18, you can't be here forever," said Azumi, raising her voice at Rin.

Rin nodded, and stared at her bow.

 _So they are making me leave soon._

It was hard for her, but Rin walked away from her weapon, and left the house for the first time, vulnerable.

* * *

He's checked on her every once in awhile, silently watching her train or fight. He's almost jumped in a few battles, but she's always come out of them. Which he never expected her to do. The little girl he saved so many times wasn't in need of saving  
anymore. He was impressed but slightly concerned, he wanted her to have normal human life without any interruption of demons. But now she's killing them.

She was getting better by the day, she was a strong, strong opponent. He felt guilt, as well. Guilt that he left her somewhere, guilt that he hasn't gone back for her, and guilt that she isn't happy with humans. He's seen the way she fights, and he can  
tell that she would rather be a lone slayer than with a group of them, she knows the weakness of humans.

He wanted her to be happier with them, but instead she got more distant, but she also benefitted from it. She was stronger than any other human woman he's seen, and stronger than many demon women.

 _She is still better off without my intervening._ thought the Lord to himself, flying off into the distance towards Rin's village.

Then the smell hit him, _her_ smell. _She's traveling,_ he thought to himself, hoping that she wasn't alone. She wasn't, he could smell the other humans that adopted her. She was walking towards another, bigger, human village. He knew that  
the humans were having some sort of festival, but he didn't know that she was interested in that sort of thing, she's never been to one before. She was old enough to go to one and actually commerce with the other young people, he supposed, but no  
human man would want a woman who only wanted to fight. No human man would want a woman who could easily defeat them in battle.

Sesshomaru hated the smell of humans, they were putrid smelling. Except her, of course. The men usually smelled like horniness and sexual desires while women smelled like over-used perfumes or blood.

 _I should still go make sure she is safe._ He thought to himself.

 _No, she is strong enough to handle herself, she's never gone anywhere without her weapon. I need to let her be._

He also didn't want to see disgusting men try to get her drunk off Saki and be with her. She's never fallen for it, so she wouldn't do anything like that tonight either. Lord Sesshomaru just wasn't in the mood to deal with the anger he gets from someone  
trying to take advantage of her.

He flew back towards his castle, his head empty of worry for her.

Meanwhile, another demon is barking orders to his minions to get armed with their claws and make their way towards an unexpecting party of humans, they were having a well-deserved feast tonight.


	6. Orochi

**(Disclaimer: I own none of the Inuyasha Characters)**

Within only 40 seconds of arriving to the Festival, Rin would rather be killing demons. Humans have never been one of her most favorite creatures. One, because they killed her entire family, and two, she felt more connected to demons. She would rather  
play with Au-Un than a hundred human children. She felt safer there anyway.

But now, since she can kill anything anytime she wanted to, she never felt vulnerable. Unless she didn't have her weapon.

 _Curse Azumi for making me feel so unsafe like this._ Thought Rin to herself.

She was walking behind Azumi and the rest of her family. She knew she loved them, but right now, she hated Azumi. There's a reason demon slayers usually travel in groups. So that if one of them wasn't prepared, one of the others would be. But to Rin,  
being around others was a chore if she wasn't prepared. She didn't trust anyone to keep themselves safe, not for a moment.

Azumi was dressed in a light blue kimono, which was something she had actually bought herself, it was a wedding gift to herself. Azumi looked at her two children and thought about the day that Rin came into her life. She saw the young girl and knew immediately  
she needed to help her. But now that the little girl has turned into a woman, she needed to blossom out into womanhood. She needed to become a woman, not a demon slayer.

 _I wish she had never killed that centipede._ But if Rin hadn't, who knows what would've happened to Taki. _I just want her to be happy and secure. Demon slaying isn't security, it is death._

Azumi looked at her husband, an ex-demon slayer, and saw that he was happy with what he has. He's always wanted a family, and now he has the most perfect one. A little girl who is both girl, and small demon slayer, and a young son who (hopefully) will  
become strong and wise, instead of a slayer. They wanted at least one child to have intelligence, maybe even become a monk of some sort.

 _I'm happy with my life._ She thought to herself.

She looked back at Rin and saw all the distrust clear on her face. Rin doesn't want to be here at all. She looked like she would switch into a human killer instead of demons in any moment.

"Rin, you could at least try to LOOK like you're enjoying yourself," said Azumi, turning away from the girl.

"But then I'd be lying," said Rin back, looking at all the carts of humans trying to sell useless knick-knacks.

Rin admits that the view of the festival is beautiful. The lights were all orange and pink and white, and the food all smelled delicious. Hiro had given her some money to spend on herself, if she so chose. Maybe she would actually spoil herself. It wasn't  
unusual for Rin to have her own money, she got paid by villagers from surrounding villages all the time to take care of small, pesky demons. But that money usually went to the family, or to her weapons. She hardly ever spent money on herself.

"Azumi, do you mind if I go buy myself some food? The walk actually made me very tired," asked Rin.

"Of course, dear, just make sure you find us later," said Azumi, waving Rin off.

Rin browsed all the food carts, and didn't find one thing that she truly wanted to buy for herself. _Maybe I would like a necklace instead._

She looked at this one cart which was truly a sight to see. It was an older woman, way past her mothering days, and she was wearing a sensible kimono. But what made the cart more intriguing to Rin, was the color of most of the jewelry it had. Bright orange,  
like a sunset. And like his eyes.

Rin sometimes sat outside on her hill in the evening after a day of training and watched the sunset. and only thought about his eyes. She tried not to, but it was unavoidable.

Rin browsed the bracelets and the rings, and thought that buying herself a ring and putting it on the finger that is most commonly used for marriage, that it would make most men back off. But that would upset Azumi, and Rin knew she had to make her way  
out of the hut eventually. And bracelets weren't really her favorite thing, it would get caught on her armor. So a necklace was her best option.

She looked at most of them, but they were mostly animals or hearts.

"Anything in particular, dear?" asked the old woman.

"I'm looking for a necklace, but nothing of a particular shape. Maybe a pearl perhaps, but I can't find anything like it," said Rin, almost giving up on her search.

"A pearl… well, It's not a real pearl, but it could pass off to be a strange one. I've tried selling this piece of junk for years now, but no one has ever wanted it. Maybe you can give it a try," she said, pulling something out from under the cart.

She pulled out a necklace with a silver chain and a bright orange pearl, it changed the color from bright orange to dark orange according to the light, but it was a crack on one side of it.

 _It's perfect._

"How much do you want for it? I'll take it off your hands," said Rin, not second guessing herself for a moment.

"Oh really? Well, since you seem to like it so much, you can just take it. It's been a hinder on my mind for years, you enjoy it, I'll enjoy giving it to you! Have a nice night, my dear," said the woman, who turned to help another customer.

Rin looked at the piece of broken jewelry in her palm and inspected the crack it had. It was broken, but it was also beautiful. The crack went from the bottom center of the pearl to where the pearl connected to the chain. It reminded her of _him_ but  
it also reminded her of herself. Broken, but strong.

"Do you need some help putting that on?" said a voice that was now behind Rin.

She turned around and looked at the man. He was one of the tallest men she had ever seen, and the darkest hair, which was turned into a bun. His kimono was dark blue with white robe eyes what were most hypnotizing. They were dark green. He was one of  
the most beautiful men she had ever seen. _He was a Lord as well._

"Oh, thank you, myLord, yes please," said Rin, handing the man the necklace and turning around.

She lifted up her hair and he placed the jewel on her chest and clasped it around her neck.

"A beautiful woman like you deserved a much more refined piece of jewelry. This one has a crack!" He said, when she turned back around.

Rin chuckled a little and said, "I prefer broken things, they seem more valuable. My name is Rin, what is your's?"

He smiled, which showed off his teeth. His teeth were sharp, all of them were. And he had almost fangs. Rin squinted her eyes and knew immediately. _He's not human._

"My name is Lord Orochi, but you, my Lady, may call me Orochi," he said, taking her hand and lightly kissing the top of it.

 _He doesn't know that I know he's a demon in human form. That's why his eyes are so hypnotizing, and his aura is bright._

"Thank you for your help, Lord Orochi. Do you mind accompanying me to find my family? I wouldn't bother you, but I fear some of the men here," she said, bowing a little to show respect and trust.

"A young, virtuous woman like herself should be accompanied. I am to guess you are unmarried?" he asked, offering his arm for her to take.

She nodded and took his arm.

 _Damn it. I don't have a weapon. I could get rid of this problem now. But perhaps he's a kind demon. It wouldn't be the first deceiving demon._

They talked about Rin's village at first, then she changed the topic from herself to him. She tried to pry out any bad information out of him.

"How is it a handsome Lord like yourself isn't married?" she asked him.

"Oh, many reasons. I don't believe in arranged marriage and my type is so specific," he said, avoiding the question almost immediately.

He changed the subject back to her and she gave as vague of answers as possible. It wasn't easy figuring out whether or not he was a bad demon, or a decent one.

"Rin!" she heard little Taki yell for her.

She turned around and saw that she was being grabbed by a man with the same eyes as Orochi, but his skin was green and scaly as well.

"No! Let go of her, Demon!" screamed Rin, who started reaching for her nonexistent bow and arrow immediately.

Rin's arms were grabbed and she was forced to stare into the eyes of Orochi, but now his claws had come out and she was being stabbed in the arms by his grip.

His eyes had changed from green, to almost cat eyes, and his skin was changing color as well. His teeth had grown. His tongue was the tongue of a snake.

"Shh, you're very tired Rin, you don't know what you're seeing. Close your eyes and sleep,my beautiful virgin of a girl," she said in his hypnotic voice.

Rin knows what he's doing but she can't stop herself from giving in to his demands. She closed her eyes and the last thing she saw was her an orange glow on her chest.

 _Sesshomaru. He will save me._

* * *

She opened her eyes, and noticed she couldn't move. It was dark in the room she was it, she couldn't see her own body, but she knew she was still clothed. She listened to the things around her and heard whimpering.

"Hello? Who is there?" she whispered.

"Rin… it's so dark," she heard Taki say.

"It'll be okay, Taki. Can you move? I need you to unbind my hands and legs," she explained in the calmest, yet demanding voice she could master.

"Okay, I'll try," she whimpered.

She had been sitting in the dark for hours by herself, not knowing what was going to happen to her. The men never make her sleep since she was too little to do anything horrible to them. She saw how they handled Rin, the big man-looking demon carried  
her into the woods, she was over his shoulder like a bag of rice. The men that took her mother and father took them to another part of the forest.

Taki crawled to where Rin was and when she finally found her, she untied the rope with ease. _That was too easy. There has to be something I'm missing._

"Taki, where did they take Azumi and Hiro? Where did they take your brother?" asked Rin, when he got loose.

"I don't know, somewhere into the forest. We're in a cave, I think," said Taki.

"Oh please don't give out all my secrets, child," said a man who was walking into cave.

"Orochi, let Taki go, she's only a child!" pleaded and demanded Rin, pushing Taki behind her.

"Exactly," he said, lighting a candle. He went around the cave and made every candle light up.

The cave was dry and small, it wasn't a luxurious castle by any means. Orochi's skin had completely changed into green scales, Rin had never seen a snake demon before, but now she had. And he had taken her hostage.

"I prefer the flesh of virgins, if you hadn't guessed that. It's usually difficult to find a beautiful woman like yourself to be pure, you know. So tell me, why is it that you haven't yet wed or at least whored yourself out yet?" he questioned, standing  
an arm's length from Rin and Taki.

"Because I've spent most of my life either with demons, or killing them. Let Taki go, you can have me," she said again, this time a little bit more polite in voice.

"You're a demon slayer?" he chuckled, "You're so precious. How can a weak woman like you ever even think you could defeat me?" he kept laughing.

"Don't call her weak! She is the most powerful demon slayer in the lands! She could kill you in a heartbeat!" yelled Taki in a fit of rage.

Rin was about to tell Taki to be quiet, but she was ripped away from Rin's grasp and into Orochi's arms.

"Oh, really child? Are you willing to put your life on the line for a challenge like that?" his tongue slithered out of his mouth, making Taki start crying again.

"Rin wouldn't let anything happen to me!" she yelled through her tears.

"This girl puts so much faith into you, a mere human woman without a weapon. But this challenge intrigues me. I'll get you any weapon you wish. If you even get close to killing me, I'll let the girl go. If you kill me, you can have your whole family back  
and you'll be free to go. Interested in a fight, love?" he said, dropping Taki on the ground.

Rin looked the demon in the eyes and stepped forward and said, "Deal."


	7. Poison

**(Disclaimer: I own none of the Inuyasha characters)**

 _Brown eyes, starring with so much devotion, an orange tattered kimono, dark black hair. Almost the complete opposite of his completely white hair. and his orange eyes don't compare. The girl wouldn't be noticed in his presense._

 _But he noticed her, when she came up to him with human food he wouldn't even attempt to try, when she consistantly annoyed him with her unwelcome presence._

 _But when he saw her dead, her pink kimono, ripped up with blood, he knew he could save her, he knew he wanted to hurt her. He didn't know why, but he did. And when she continued to follow him, he eventually got used to her flowers, her smile, her hair, and her eyes; in fact, he welcomed it._

 _But, sympathy for a human in a demon world is weakness. Care for a human is weakness. they're so damn fragile, so damned weak._

 _And a powerful Lord wouldn't have that._

He opened his eyes and noticed his forehead was covered in sweat. It was a rare time when he would dream about Rin, but it still happened sometimes. He never thought a human could have a sense of power over him like this, but it wasn't something he wasn't used to at this point. His pointless care over her was normal for him now.

He raised himself out of his bed and looked outside towards the village that Rin was at. He listened around for her, but it was completely silent.

That was wrong. He put on his weapons on, and made off towards the village.

 _Why can't I pick up her scent. He couldn't pick up any scent. Only… Snake._

Snake demons were sneaky and devious. It wouldn't be like Rin to fall for something as unintelligent as that. But snakes were also known for hypnotizing. He sniffed for something, anythng like Rin, when he came around to, instead, the smell of the woman who took her in.

He dashed down into the cave where she was kept, listening around for the snake guards, but not finding a single one. He walked into the deepest part of the cave and saw the woman and the rest of her family. She was tied up, and blinded by a patch. The husband was passed out, but still passed out.

Sesshomaru grabbed the wife and the boy and flew out of the cave.

"Let go of my son! If you hurt him, I will kill you! Let GO of him!" she screamed in his ear.

"Silence! I'm letting you go," he said when he landed near the road.

He let them down on the ground and took off her blindfold.

The man that Azumi was looking at was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His white hair, that reached all the way to his waist, was the brightest white she had ever seen. And he was the tallest man she had ever seen as well.

"Who are you?" She asked, standing up, with her boy in her hands.

"Where is Rin," he replied with, getting impatient with these pathetic humans.

"Rin got taken by the badmen with green skin," said the little boy.

"Where?" he asked again, getting replied by a small finger getting pointed in another part of the forest.

He immediately took off in a bright light, leaving the two mesmerized by his presence.

* * *

"Ready to fight, princess?" asked Orochi, facing the woman.

It was midnight, the full moon was bright and her dark hair was shining. And so was her bright sword. It wasn't the usual sword she was used to using, it was bigger and heavier, but she knew she could wield it. Well, she _hoped_ she could wield it.

They were surrounded by snakes and other human-looking snake demons, but weren't as strong as their master, Orochi. They followed him in fear of him. Orochi was one the most powerful demons where they came from.

Taki was in the hands of one of the demons, crying because they were all eyeing her as if she was dinner.

"Yes. Stop stalling and come at me!" she yelled, raising the sword a higher.

The demon snake came at her with his claws. She jumped and rolled out of the way, and swung her sword, but missed.

 _He's so fast. How am I supposed to slice something as fast as him. I need to slow him down somehow._

The snake struck again, cutting her arm with his claws, she screamed out in pain, but held onto her sword, and tried cutting his again. She managed to cut his face, but not enough.

"Hah, you call this a fight, love? I could fight you blind," he boasted, his white teeth as sharp as her sword.

"Oh really? I was just warming up," she said, striking first this time, making him jump backwards in surprise.

"Sure you were, don't make me laugh," he said, chuckling a little bit.

His green eyes became red and he grew into his demonic form, a giant green snake, with two fangs, dripping with poison.

"Coward," she mumbled, coming at him with the sword in the air.

The snake came slithering up at the same time, hissing so loudly that her ears began ringing. She closed her eyes, a deadly mistake to make, and threw her sword at the snake. At the same time, the snake bit down on her thigh, making her scream as loud as the snake hissed when the sword cut into his spine.

The snake let go of her leg, and threw her across the plains. The other snake demons gasped in surprise and ran to their master. He reverted back to his human form and was screaming in pain.

"I… I can't move! That woman paralyzed me! Kill her! Kill her now and give me her flesh!" he screamed.

"No! Leave Rin alone!" screamed Taki, who was fighting to get out of the grip of the demon.

"Coward! You said you would let us go if I injured you!" Screamed Rin.

"You're going to die anyway, wench. My poison is too strong for a small weak human like you to survive!" yelled Orochi.

Rin looked at her thigh and realized he was right. The two puncture wounds were already swelling and bruising. And the cut on her arm was bleeding profusely.

"Fine. Just let Taki go! Please!" pleaded Rin, her head getting a little heavy.

Then, a bright light flew in from the shadows, blinding the demons, and Rin.

 _No. It couldn't be._

"Move on, Orochi. I don't want to have to finish the job," said the calm, yet powerful voice of the Dog Demon.

They all awed in surprise. They hadn't seen Sesshomaru in years, not since his father was in control of the west.

"Well, if it isn't the puppy in the family. Get back to your castle, Sesshomaru, none of this concerns you!" said Orochi, trying to move, but failing and crying out in pain.

"You're in no position to oppose me, snake. I said: Move on," he demanded to the gang of demons.

"You're wrong. I may not be able to fight you, but my men can!" he yelled out, and indicating to his minions to attack.

"I'm in no mood for this!" he said, pulling out his powerful demon sword, and slicing them all down in a single swoop.

Orochi screamed in surprise, but was blasted down by the sword.

Sesshomaru put back his sword, and turned to face Rin.

"What are you doing here?" she asked immediately.

 _How dare he come back and interrupt my battle. Orochi was right, this had nothing to do with him. He had no right to come here. I didn't call for him, I didn't need him._

"You've been bitten," he said, crouching down to look at her leg and ignoring her question.

 _She doesn't want me here. But she needs help. Stubborn girl._

He touched the wound, to inspect how far in the poison was. Orochi was right, she was so small, the poison might have already spread far within her body.

"You need Echinacea," he said, picking her up, "Girl, your mother is out on the road. You'll be safe by yourself."

"Run, Taki!" yelled Rin, knowing she wasn't going to be able to talk Sesshomaru into carrying her as well.

 _How am I going to be able to even talk to him. He left me for years, without so much as a word. I hate him for that, how could I even look at him. I hate him so much._

"I can't… keep my eyes open," she said, her eyes becoming so heavy.

Sesshomaru looked at the woman in his arms and flew faster then ever to get her to a priestess to cure her.


	8. Home

**(Disclaimer: I own none of the characters)**

 **Please tell me what you think so far! I really want feedback, and opinions! Advice is always welcome as well! Just don't be rude!**

 **3**

"Sesshomaru did good by taking the girl here," said the old woman known as Lady Kaede to Sesshomaru's younger half-demon brother, Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looks the same as when Rin met him for the first time. His long white hair exactly similar to Sesshomaru's, but his was thicker and more chaotic while sesshomaru's wouldn't ever have a knot in it. He also appeared younger than Sesshomaru, but  
they both appeared to never age to the average human.

"I don't see why he would give her any time of day! He hates humans," said Inuyasha in his childish, hateful voice.

"Yee forget, this child is Rin, the one he brought back to life so many years ago," explained Kaede.

Inuyasha groaned and said, "He left her behind in some human village years ago. I don't know what he's thinking all of sudden, coming back into her life. She should hate him for abandoning her."

"He's not my favorite person in the world, Inuyasha," said Rin, finally awakening from her sleep.

Sesshomaru went ot the only priestess he trusted with Rin's life. He got there within an hour of getting her, she was passed out the whole time. Time was a necessity when a girl with a small figure like Rin was poisoned.

When Sesshomaru showed up with the girl in his arms, he was welcomed by Inuyasha first, who immediately assumed that he had gotten her hurt. Inuyasha met his fist in that moment. He completely ignored all questions as to why he had brought her there other  
than the fact that she was poisoned by a snake demon.

Lady Kaede tried not to wonder why the Lord Demon had taken his time to help her, but realizing that it was the little girl he had taken care of, she immediately quieted herself and went to work of curing her.

The root that she needed to help her wasn't in much supply, but she had Inuyasha go to the farm of Genji, the half-demon, and get the root. He got it within 2 days. The only way Rin survived was from another root that did almost the same thing. It was  
only an imitation thought. Sesshomaru never left the village that Lady Kaede lived.

Sango and Miroku also lived in this village, with their twin daughters and other little children. When Miroku said he wanted 20 children, he wasn't kidding. Although, Songo won't be having that many more, considering they already have 4.

Kagome and Inuyasha also are having their child soon, they waited so long because Kagome wasn't able to come back through the well for so many years. She went to school though, and learned a lot about medicine, and she aided Lady Kaede with curing Rin.

When Inuyasha returned with the correct root, Kagome mushed it into a liquid and put it onto the wounds that Orochi left in her right thigh. The world had swollen her whole leg, and turned green and purple, it was a horrid sight. It also pussed out a  
strange white liquid, which Kaede could only guess was her body rejecting the poison.

"Rin has awoken, Kagome. Do you mind going to get Sesshomaru? I'm sure he'll want to know when she awoke," asked Kaede.

"I'll go get him. Stay here, I don't want Kagome alone with him," said Inuyasha, taking off out the window towards Sesshomaru's smell.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's relationship has gotten better since Sesshomaru gave up trying to take Inuyasha's sword. And when Naraku was defeated, they basically ignored eachother other than the few times they happen to run into each other. Sesshomaru once  
told him when Inuyasha asked about where Rin had gone to, he vaguely explained where and why he had left her.

To Inuyasha, it was a selfish act. But he understood why he had done it. A demon like Sesshomaru could never understand his true emotions about a human. He would always choose power over Rin, and that wasn't fair to her. ANd coming back into her life  
after 7 years of never being there, but even so much as a check-up, that was the most despicable act. But, given the circumstances of Rin's injuries, Inuyasha guessed that Sesshomaru acted on impulse. An unusual act for Sesshomaru.

Although, Rin always had a special place in Sesshomaru's… well, his nonexistent heart.

"Hey! Sesshomaru!" yelled out Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru stood up out of the shadow of the forest and faced his younger, half-demon brother.

Since he had left Rin in the care of Lady Kaede, he hadn't left eh human village. He only walked into the village when he would notice something different about Rin's scent, always concerned that she had died all of a sudden. He didn't stay to far away  
though, he didn't want to miss anything incase she had passed away.

"What is it?" he said in his calm voice, his face never changing its blank expression.

"Rin's awake. Want to come see her or are you going to take off again?" questioned Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru looked in Rin's direction, and listened carefully for her heartbeat. But couldn't read it over the many humans nonstop talking and groaning.

"I'm sure she'd want to talk to you," said Inuyasha, trying to convince him to go see her instead of leaving.

"Fine," he said, walking past his brother to the village.

Inuyasha watched his half-brother go into a human village to talk to his old human companion, something Inuyasha never thought he'd be ever see.

xxx

Kagome looked at the young girl that was taken in by Sesshomaru so many years ago, and saw how strong the girl had become. She had actually heard of a young woman who could kill any demon that came after her, but never thought that woman would've been  
Rin. She never knew that little girl would have become so strong.

"Rin, if you don't mind me asking, what do you think of Sesshomaru now? He saved your life… again. But only after not seeing you after 7 years. I'm just curious, you know? Girl to girl," asked Kagome, sitting on Rin's bed, next to her leg, which was much  
less swollen than it was before.

Rin looked at the pregnant Kagome,and only thought _why would you care._ She saw Kagome as a very intelligent woman, but she was weak now. She was pregnant, she couldn't defend herself in anyway.

 _Neither can I now that I think about it._

"Thank you for getting me well, Kagome. I am so grateful to you both. But I don't really feel comfortable talking about… about Lord Sesshomaru. But thank you for your concern," explained Rin, covering up a little more, feeling uncomfortable.

She wasn't uncomfortable because of Kagome's question. She was uncomfortable because of Rin's answer, or the lack of one. Rin didn't know how she was supposed to feel. She was thankful to him for saving her. But she was also embarrassed because she shouldn't  
have needed him in the first place. She didn't want tohave to ever be saved, she didn't want to ever be a liability ever again. She worked this hard for this long, but he had to save her again. Her pride was damaged.

She also didn't know how she felt about him, himself. He left her for years. He left her, even after promising he would back to her again. He left her after everything they had been through together. He saved her more than once, he brought her back from  
the dead, she knew that at one point, she meant the world to him, even if he never said it. It didn't matter. The actions he took meant so much more to her than his words ever did.

And the action of leaving her and never coming back for her… that hurt the most.

"Don't worry about it. I was just making sure you're okay with seeing him, I'm sure that he would want to see you. You'vebeen asleep for a few days," she explained standing up.

Just then, Lord Sesshomaru walked into the room, making Rin hold her breathe for a moment.

It was the first time she really could look at him. He hasn't aged a day since the day he left her, so many years ago. She knew she shouldn't have expected any different, but it still took her back. His height hasn't changed, his hair was the same as  
well. And his eyes were the same color orange, the same captivating orange they had always been. Nothing, not even Orochi's eyes, could be more hypnotizing.

"Well, I'm going to go… get you some more medicine… for the pain," said Kagome, basically running out of the room.

Rin sat up a little more, wincing in pain a little.

"Don't move, you need to rest," said Sesshomaru, walking over to the fireplace and poking it with the fire poker.

"Where have you been?" she asked immediately, not wasting time with the friendly small talk.

Sesshomaru sat down and looked at the girl… the woman. He saw the pain in her deep brown eyes. Both types; physical and emotional.

"I've been making my empire larger and more powerful," he said, not taking his eyes off of hers.

She felt tears almost pierce her eyes. But she's refused to cry for so many years. She turned away and looked down at her hands, which were calloused, but still feminine somehow.

"I saw your first single demon kill," he finally said, breaking more of the silence.

She looked at him in surprise. "You… you were there?" she questioned.

"Yes. I went back a few times a year to check up on you. You got so strong by yourself, you didn't need me to save you anymore, Rin. You were strong by yourself," he explained.

 _He thought I was strong by myself. He didn't think I needed him anymore. I don't. I can protect myself perfectly well now._

"I don't need you anymore. But that doesn't mean that I didn't still want to be around you," she said, in one of her quieter voices.

Sesshomaru looked at the child and thought about how he always secretly wanted her around too. He never needed her, but he always appreciated her smile and her laugh.

"My Lord, are you going to leave again?" She asked, not knowing what she wanted to hear.

"I'll stay with you, until you're healthy. Then I'll bring youback home," he explained.

 _Staying any longer than that would be too much… for the both of us,_ he thought to himself.

Rin was pleasantly okay with the answer, but was Azumi and them her real home?


	9. Smile

"I need to practice, InuYasha! If I waste anymore time in this bed, I'm going to lose all my training!" argued the very annoyed Rin, who was getting pushed back into bed by InuYasha.

Sesshomaru was standing behind him, watching the scene unfold.

About 2 weeks have passed, and Rin is getting restless. This is the longest she's gone without training since she was a child, and she refuses to lose everything she's worked so hard for now. Both InuYasha and Sesshomaru will not allow her to do much of anything. She's gone on walks, but nothing faster than a child's pace.

 _This is going to kill me._

Thought Rin, who just elbowed InuYasha in the jaw, and jumping past him onto the floor. Pain immediately swept up her bad thigh to her waist, making her groan.

"Yeah, and you want to run on that? Tell her to be reasonable, would you, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru only glared at InuYasha and Rin, fighting the urge to fly away and have some peace. It had been like this for 3 days. Rin wanting to go out and be too active on herself, and InuYasha stopping her and dragging her back to Lady Kaede's hut.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I have been fighting since I was 13 years old. I need to go do something. Being here… in a state like this? It's not me. I need to fight," explained Rin, who was staring at him, almost glaring. As if she _dared_ him to stop her.

He looked over the woman in front of him. Usually, he couldn't care less if a human was so passionate about fighting and killing. However, this is Rin. He saw that her hair was cleaned thoroughly and her wound was no longer swollen. She was basically healthy, but being bed ridden for so long had made her pale and sickly thin.

"You're too weak to fight a real opponent," he said coldly, making Rin's face fall.

Tears coming to her eyes made her look like the most pitiful thing in the world. The pain in her face tightened Sesshomaru's chest and made him almost regret doubting her strength. Sesshomaru looked away from Rin's face and walked over to InuYasha, who was staring at Rin as if she was about to break into a million pieces.

"You must stop treating her like a child and mind your business," he said with ice in his words.

InuYasha made some noise and left the and Rin were left alone.

For the past two weeks, Sesshomaru was avoiding moments alone with her. Being alone with her made him want to… he supposed the word _melt_ was the only way to describe it. He wanted to tell her about his travels and he wanted to hear everything about her. He wanted to _melt_ into his own skin and allow himself the weakness of caring just a little bit more.

 _But a demon Lord must never melt. We must stay as solid as stone._

But there he was, looking at the back of the head of the girl he wanted to melt for.

"You can leave. I don't need anymore assistance," she said, with assertiveness in her voice. She wouldn't dare let her voice crack with pain. Not in front of him, anyway.

 _How dare he say I am too weak? I am only weak because I was injured. I am not anymore, why is he forcing me to stay here? Bastard._

Rin felt stuck in one place, something she never liked. She didn't mind living with Azumi, only because she was able to leave when requested to kill a demon. She felt free, not tied down to a post.

 _He's too damn stubborn._

"Rin-" started Sesshomaru, but Rin interrupted by throwing down the weapon she was going to go out with.

"I don't want to hear it. You think I'm too weak? I'm only going to get _worse_ sitting in this damn bed!" she cursed at him, turning and staring right at him. Her voice didn't crack or show remorse. She was _dead_ serious.

Sesshomaru wasn't used to being interrupted, but he allowed it. _I'd allow anything she does._

How could the sweet girl he traveled with turn into such a stubborn woman? Had leaving her with humans made her cold? You'd assume the opposite for a normal human. But Rin wasn't just some human. She showed no sign of fear in the presence of him, and she never had. Even when he was out of control in his demon form, she had still loved him and wanted him around.

What had happened to her?

"I apologize," was all he mumbled as he walked out of the room, past her.

 _He smells like the forest._ commented Rin to herself, taking her by surprise.

Sesshomaru hadn't been around her since he had said he was going to stay with her until he took her back to her own village with Azumi and her family.

 _Perhaps he didn't want to leave me, yet?_

 _No._ fought Rin. _If he wanted to be around me the past seven years, he could have done so. He didn't have to hide in the shadows, making her feel useless and unwanted._

Rin felt a headache coming on, making her groan and scream into the feather pillow. Rin looked out the window and saw the blue sky and longed for Au-Un to burst into the room and take her to a distant land. A land that she could just fight and kill demons to her heart's content. A place where she could lay down in the mud and not care if anyone sees. Maybe she'll even run into a flower bed and sing until her throat hurts.

 _When was the last time I sang?_

xxx

 _He apologized?_ questioned InuYasha, who wasn't to far away when he 'overheard' Sesshomaru apologize to Rin about saying she was too weak to fight an opponent.

InuYasha has never seen Sesshomaru say sorry for anything. He didn't seem fazed, walking out out of the hut and flying towards the forest. Before the children could get to him.

Most of the humans had only ever seen mean or horrible demons, other than Shippo and InuYasha. And even humans can tell when they are in the presence of someone that could kill all of them without as so much as breaking a nail. Or have a nightmare about it. The children are a little bit more innocent about him, meaning they all just want to touch his fur coverings and his facial marks.

They think he's beautiful.

"InuYasha! Come help me with this!" screamed Kagome, who was decorating the outside for the wedding that was taking place tonight.

InuYasha leapt up and aided his beautiful and swollen wife with her duties. He felt a little guilty about her being forced to carry his child. He felt helpless about the fact that he couldn't help her with _that_ kind of pain. Fortunately, Sango helps a lot, being the one who has already had multiple pregnancies.

He looked at his girl, and only thought about what he would do if anything had happened to her. _I wouldn't let her anywhere near an opponent again._

Then it hit him. _Does Sesshomaru truly love Rin?_

The thought made him question all he knows about Sesshomaru. Does he really love Rin, like a companion or a lover? Maybe even a wife? Was his whole life with Rin all about his love for her, and not just his care about her? _Could_ Sesshomaru even be capable of loving someone? Little lone, a human?

InuYasha took another look at Kagome, who was talking to the bride, and thought, _Who really couldn't find something to love?_

xxx

"Please wear it, Rin. It's the best Kimono that I have, and I can't wear it… please wear it for me?!" whined Kagome, shoving a pink kimono into Rin's hands.

"Look… these types of events, they're not really my cup of tea and I-"

"I don't care! You are putting on the kimono and you are going to be gorgeous, do you hear me?!" screamed Kagome, whose face looked at red as a cherry and her eyebrow was twitching.

It wasn't so much that Kagome scared Rin into putting on the kimono, but it was the longing to get out of the room. _Even if it was to a stupid wedding._

"Fine!" screamed Rin in retort. Kagome smiled very wide and walked out the room to give Rin some privacy to get dressed.

Kagome already knew Rin wouldn't want any help putting it on. Although Kagome thought that Rin was a little cold, she knew that she had a caring heart. And the kimono that she gave her ould bring out that look much more.

 _Stupid Kagome. Stupid wedding. Stupid wound. And stupid Sesshomaru._

Rin rolled her eyes and get undressed. She looked at the wound that was scaring on her thigh. It looked like a huge snake bite, it was dark pink and created dimples. She would have this for the rest of her life. The same would be for the slice on her forearm, but she wasn't too worried about her scars. She had many small ones because of prior battles, but none as extensive as these.

 _None were this close to killing me._

She supposed it was time to properly thank Lord Sesshomaru. She knew she would do it eventually, but her pride was stopping her. Thanking him would make it obvious that she still needed saving at some point. And she wasn't exactly ready to accept that he could still possess that power over her. Protectivity. She didn't want it.

Rin looked at the rest of her body and saw that she was fully formed. Despite her tough training, she looked very petite. Her face was round, with high cheek bones. Her brown eyes were the darkest part of her. She had grown so pale. Her breasts were a little larger than most women her age, and her hips were fairly wide.

Azumi used to say that Rin would produce beautiful children. She stopped saying that when Rin started becoming more popular with the villages as 'the most powerful demon slayer'. Rin made it obvious to Azumi and even to Hiro that she had no interest in becoming a wife, or even a mother. Azumi cried for a while, but she eventually decided to fight Rin with it until it had happened.

 _I wonder if Azumi even knows if I'm alive…_

Rin was awakened from her daydream by a knock on the door and Kagome asking if she was ready.

Rin quickly put on the pink kimono with white flowers and headed outside with Kagome.

Rin looked around and saw beautifully decorate streamers with lanterns on every post. The whole path had candles inside flowers every few feet. Rin assumed that that was the brie would come from. She looked at all the villagers, who were rowdy and loud, but happy. They were dancing to the music that Lady Kaede and Kagome were playing.

Rin recognized some of the villagers as Sango and Miroku. They looked aged and beaten down, but they were smiling. Rin noticed a baby strapped to Sangos back and two little girls holding each of Miroku's hands. They were wearing matching blue kimonos. Rin had no doubt they had at least one other child somewhere in the crowd.

Rin looked at all the happy villagers and felt a mixture of envy and pity. She felt envious that she wasn't raised to believe that this is how humans were supposed to live. Happy and carefree with each other. Humans need other humans. Rin felt envy that she _didn't_ feel that need. And she felt pity because she knew that caring about all of the villagers at once was a weakness. A huge one.

Suddenly, Rin felt so out of place and in the way.

 _Why are they all so happy?_

She started breathing heavily and her chest hurt.

 _Why can't I breathe?_

She put a hand to her chest, as if that would push the oxygen through her skin into her lungs.

 _I need to get out here._

She ran next to the path, not knowing exactly where she was headed. Not that she really cared too much, she just knew she couldn't handle another moment with all of those villagers.

When she finally collapsed from the pain in her thigh, she noticed that her face was wet from her crying. She wiped it all away and punch the flowers to her right.

 _Flowers…_

Rin looked all around her and noticed she was in a field of them. It looked just like one she would run around and play in while waiting on Lord Sesshomaru to return to her. Rin grabbed at the necklace to her throat and stood up. She walked to the center of the field and laid down in it. She noticed that she ground beneath the flowers was rough, but she didn't care. She was alone and felt a little better, laying in a bed of flowers.

xxx

From a distance, Sesshomaru watched as Rin exited the wedding by running away. He heard her breathing… she couldn't. She was hyperventilating and crying. You'd think that it was her wedding, the way she reacted and her clothes.

The kimono she wore looked like something a princess would wear, although he doubted that it was as nice as it appeared. It morphed with Rin's body amazingly. even Sesshomaru was taken back by her beauty. With her pale skin, the pink and white blended together well.

Sesshomaru followed Rin until she collapsed in the middle of the field. She was still crying a little, but he wasn't sure why.

 _Why couldn't she breathe? Why did she panic like that?_

He thought about going and laying next to her. He thought about holding onto her waist and holding her against him. He wanted her to stop crying and embrace him like everything was right in the world.

But things weren't alright in the world. And he couldn't hold her. And she couldn't embrace him.

But he would settle with going to see why she was crying in the first place.

He started walking out of the shadows and stood next to the legs, looking down on her.

When she noticed that it was him, she sat straight up, and hid her face from the moonlight so he wouldn't see. She wiped off her cheeks and asked, "Do you need something?"

He thought about her question and decided that he would ignore it.

"You're crying," was all he said.

She furrowed her eyebrows and thought, _of course he noticed already._

"The wedding… it was just too much. Villagers can be overwhelming sometimes," she explained, wiping off her face more.

She could still hear the music and all the laughter. They were both silent, both looking at the stars, as if that's what they were interested.

"I should thank you," said Rin, with a little of bitterness in her voice.

Sesshomaru didn't break his eye contact with the sky and asked, "For?"

Rin groaned and said, "For killing Orochi. And rescuing me. Again."

"I hardly killed Orochi. He was already paralyzed. What good is a snake if they can't slither?" explained Sesshomaru, finally looking at Rin.

Rin inhaled to say something, most likely argue her point, but she stayed silent.

 _He's letting me have this kill._

Rin nodded and said, "Well, then thank you for taking me here. I would've been dead if it weren't for you."

They were silent again. Rin felt a small weight lifted off her shoulders. She had thanked him. That was all she needed to say.

But looking at him, his perfect white hair and his birth marks on his forehead… anger and hurt emanate off of her when she looks at him.

"I don't forgive you yet," she said, putting her chin on her knees.

"I don't expect you to."

"You abandoned me, Sesshomaru," she said, surprising even herself. She had never said it out loud, and never thought about saying it to him directly.

Her voice sounded betrayed, and hurt.

"I trusted you to always be there when I actually did need you. I was devoted to you and your conquest of power, but now… I Can't even imagine traveling with you again. You can't expect me to just forget-"

"I don't-"

"And you can't just run back into my life! I had almost stopped thinking about you. I was _so close_ to being completely free of you and you just barge in, in a flash of white and save me again!"

She was crying, but silently. You wouldn't hear it in her voice.

"You had seven years to come back for me and you just… didn't,"

Her sobs broke something inside of his chest. He already knew all of this, he knew that he caused her pain. He just didn't know how deeply it had affected her. Does she really want nothing to do with him now?

After all these years, he had the chance to be with her, to claim his strange human and protect her. But instead, he chose something like power. Power? Power was immortal. Power was _him._ But her? She was mortal, she was temporary.

 _I couldn't have her forever… can I just have her for now?_

Sesshomaru sat down next to her, close enough to smell her hair and hear her heartbeat, but far enough to not be touching.

"Do you want to be freed from me now?"

His voice just barely betrayed him. You could hear the small amount of hopelessness and sadness in his voice. Anyone who knew him as the all powerful Lord Demon wouldn't notice. But Rin, she noticed the difference in his voice. She heard a small amount of pain and it took her breath away.

The first question that came to her mind was how could she possibly be freed from him now? He already came back, showed his care for her, made it obvious he doesn't want her to be hurt again.

And then there was the little voice in the back of head screaming that she _couldn't even forget about him._

And this thought actually made her laugh. She chuckled in her throat and then it came out her lips.

Through the giggles, she looked at Sesshomaru and said, "You're immortal. I don't think I'll ever be free from you!" and she kept laughing.

Sesshomaru was confused by her answer, but accepted it as she didn't want to be away from him.

When she finally stopped laughing, she said, "Just… if you're going to stay… then you can't leave me like that again, okay?"

"Okay." was all he said, then she placed her hand on his for a brief moment, and smiled.

 _That smile._


	10. Recognize

***Disclaimer: I do not own any of the true Inuyasha character***

 **Enjoy!**

 _This is my only chance._

Rin looked at her opponent with daring eyes and shot an arrow. The arrow was perfectly aimed, of course. It hit the target dead on, leaving no survivors.

"Yes!" screamed Rin, who looked at the small crow that she had hit.

It wasn't a real opponent, but it was something. Rin had just been excited to be outside, be free. She was glad that Sesshomaru had given his permission. Not that it was really his decision completely, but it was nice anyway.

"God, you'd think she just killed Naraku," grumbled InuYasha, who was watching off to the side. Kagome was sitting next to him, knitting a beanie for the baby.

"Oh shush, InuYasha. She hasn't been fighting in over two weeks! You'd get annoyed too! I just hope our baby isn't like that. I want a peaceful child," said Kagome, who giggled at the thought. She knew well that she wouldn't have a normal quiet child  
with her husband.

Rin was dressed in Sango's old demon slaying armor. It fit Rin very well, in all the right places. She felt flexible and maneuverable. That was the problem with women's clothes, you could barely move in them. This outfit was perfect for Rin, although  
she wasn't allowed to keep it, of course. It was one of Sango's prized possessions from her life before she became a mother.

Rin looked at Sango's life and felt sorry for her. She was born and raised a demon slayer, how could she possibly give up a life of freedom and travel?

"Hey Rin!" yelled some voice in the sky.

Rin's eyes wandered upward and saw a flying three-eyed cow coming down. She saw a man and a boy, the boy had orange hair and the man had brown hair that was the same color as Sango's.

 _Kohaku!_

"Hey! Shippo! Kohaku!" she yelled up at them, waving her hand in greeting.

When the cow landed, Kohaku jumped off. He was taller than Rin, as always, but he seemed more lean. He was stronger now. His brown hair was pulled back into a slayer's bun and he had his new large and very sharp weapon strapped to his back.

Shippo got off as well, and he had aged a bit, but little demon's like him barely age in the eyes of a human. His hair had gotten longer, and Rin noticed that his claws had gotten longer and sharper.

Kohaku walked to Rin and immediately embraced her and said, "I haven't seen you in years! You've grown so much!"

Rin was surprised by the embrace, but returned the hug and said, "So have you!" She was happy to see this particular old friend.

Kohaku let go, and turned bright pink.

 _He's still the embarrassed boy I used to know._

"What are you doing here? Why are you wearing Sango's demon slaying clothes? You're not…" Then Kohaku noticed the bow in her hand and the arrows on her back. He also saw the sword behind her.

"I actually am," said Rin, chuckling.

"You're a demon slayer?!"

 _How did the innocent Rin turn into a demon slayer? She couldn't possibly be that strong._

"I am. I was trained by my… I guess my adoptive father, actually," explained Rin, which made Kohaku's face look all the more confused.

Shippo looked at Rin with wide eyes and said, "You're pretty."

This made both Kohaku and Rin an even brighter pink, but she welcomed the compliment with a hug for the little demon. He was still a young boy in her eyes, although he'll live far longer than she ever will.

Rin laughed and said that she would explain her life story since he had seen her later. She wanted to train a little more before midday. Kohaku became a little nervous, but excited to catch up with Rin. He had been training as well to become a stronger  
demon slayer. He also wanted to avoid staying at Miroku and Sango's home for too long. He loved his sister and her family, but the kids get too rowdy and playful for him to deal with. It's a big change, going from intense training and killing brutally,  
to playing with nephews and nieces.

After saying a 'until later' good-bye, Kohaku walked to Sango's home and was greeted with two screaming little girls.

"Kohaku! We weren't expected you for another week!" yelled Miroku, who was changing a diaper at the moment.

"Shippo was getting a little bullied at the demon school, he was getting too many points apparently," Kohaku explained as he set down his weapon so he could hug all his nieces.

Miroku didn't even seem to be paying attention, he was too busy trying to get his son to accept the diaper. Then, Sango walked in with their first son, who was still a toddler. As soon as she saw her brother, her heart dropped and she ran to hug him.

"You're getting too big, Kohaku!" she said, almost tears in her eyes.

"It's only been a few months sister," said Kohaku, rolling his eyes, but smiling.

Kohaku knew that his older sister was very protective of him, it took everything in his power to convince Sango to allow him to continue with training. Kohaku knew all the bad things he had done could be corrected with hard work and saving lives.

After a few minutes of explaining how his training had been going, and stories about all his impressive battles, Kohaku asked about Rin.

"She was injured in a battle, so Sesshomaru brought her here to Lady Kaede to heal her from a snakedemon's poison. The process was very scary, but she turned out just fine."

 _Sesshomaru saved her?_

"Sesshomaru?! He's here? He's… he's with her, again?" said a very confused Kohaku.

 _He left her in some village with nothing… why would he even bother going back to save her?_

"I don't know if he's in the village right now, but I'm sure he's somewhere around here. He probably won't leave until he has to take Rin back to her village," said Sango.

"I see," was all Kohaku said.

Sango looked at her brother and saw a little sadness. He couldn't possibly be jealous about Sesshomaru and Rin, could he?

xxx

Rin shot another arrow at a crow, and again, she made the target. She was getting a little bored of killing things that wouldn't fight back.

 _I need a real challenge._

"Hey, InuYasha!" yelled out Rin.

InuYasha looked up and grunted, Rin assumed that he had heard her.

"Can you get me a demon? Something that will actually give me a challenge? I'm bored of hitting crows!"

"Hell no! Sesshomaru would kill me if I let you fight with a real demon," said InuYasha, who put his head back down on Kagome's lap, who blushed a little.

Maybe it was a little sweet that those two were still a little shy around each other.

 _It's also disgusting._

Just then, a bright light arches over the trees and lands a few feet in front of Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" yelled out Rin, happily.

He looked at her and saw her old smile that would welcome him just like after a long absence. It had only been since last night that he saw her, was she really this happy to see him?

"I need to fight a real opponent. Crows don't fight back when you aim an arrow at them, that's not exciting at all," whined Rin.

 _Of course._

Sesshomaru asked, "What do you want me to do about it?"

Rin rolled her eyes and noticed something in the sky. He heard Sesshomaru growl and little and look in the same directing of the object that was starting to fly very low.

"What the…?"

"LORD SESSHOMARU! I FINALLY FOUND YOU!" screamed a very high pitched voice. It sounded like it had been crying, and strained because of screaming too much.

Then, Au-Un landed in the field ahead of her and Sesshomaru.

When Rin finally grasped who it was, she smiled the biggest smile in a while. She started running towards Au-Un and Jaken, but Sesshomaru grabbed her good arm, and made her stop in her tracks.

"What are you doing?" she asked, not fighting his grasp.

"Au-Un doesn't recognize you anymore. He's a dangerous dragon," explained Sesshomaru, who dropped her arm.

 _Oh… right._

"And just who are you, human female?" asked Jaken, who squinted his eyes at the woman in front of him.

She looked vaguely familiar, but she wasn't a woman Lord Sesshomaru ever brought back to his castle. Not that humans were there very often. He had stopped her from approaching Au-Un, so he obviously didn't want her to get hurt.

"Jaken… you haven't changed a bit," said Rin, who giggled, and continued, "It's me! It's Rin, master Jaken."

His eyes got wide immediately and looked from Sesshomaru to Rin and back a few times. He didn't know how to respond to this situation. Lord Sesshomaru had abandoned Rin years ago, why was he here in a human village, no less? Is _this_ where he had  
been the past few weeks?!

When Au-Un finally realized who it was, he ran up to her and started cuddling their heads to her hands. Rin laughed more and gave them both hugs.

"I missed you guys too!"

 _She's so much older now. Had it really been that long for her?_

"Jaken, what is it?" asked Sesshomaru, who was a little annoyed by Jaken's confused face.

"Oh! My lord, there are a few pressing issues since you've been… busy. First, the servants are complaining about the food. Of course, I informed them that it wasn't your concern, but they kept pestering me to-"

"Anything important, Jaken?" asked Sesshomaru.

"Oh-Ah-Yes, well, there is a small demon in the western part of your land that has been terrorizing the human village there. It is only a small mole demon, but the humans can't take care of it themselves you see, and-"

"I'll take care of it!" screamed Rin, who jumped from Au-Un to crouching down in front of Jaken. "Where is this demon, exactly?" she asked, getting very giddy about the thought of finally killing something that deserved to die. She was still angry about  
Orochi and his downfall. She needed to finally defeat something, just to make herself feel better.

"Rin! How dare you-what-do you even know how to fight demons?!" yelled Jaken, taken back by the rudeness of her assertiveness.

Rin laughed and said, "I could take you down in a few mere moments, Jaken. Ever heard of the powerful demon slayer in the north? That's me!"

"Rin, yu can't fight this demon, it is none of your concern," explained Sesshomaru.

"But… Hey, think of it as me repaying you. You took care of Orochi, let me take care of this pathetic mole demon. You don't have to get your hands dirty at all! and then you can take me home to Azumi and the family."

 _She's so eager to leave._

Thought Sesshomaru. He couldn't think of a reason to say no, but he could smell that a reason was coming this way.

"Rin, Jaken, Au-Un!" yelled out Kohaku, who was running with a stupid grin on his face.

"Hey Kohaku!" said Rin, giggling a little bit.

Jealousy came out of nowhere, and instantly want to rip out Kohaku's throat was overwhelming came onto Sesshomaru. He hadn't seen the boy for a few years, but the way he made Rin instantly happy was threatening.

 _What could he possibly threaten?_ Thought Sesshomaru, confused by his own emotions. He quieted himself and looked at what was unfolding.

Kohaku gave a small and momentary hug to Rin, and then faced him.

"It's been a long time, Lord Sesshomaru."

He stayed silent for a moment and decided to ignore him completely. He asked, "Rin, when do you want to leave?"

Rin smiled and said, "Tomorrow morning, I'll take care of that demon, no problem."

"I'm sure you will," said Sesshomaru, who took off flying in the direction of the forest, as if he had important business to attend to in there.


End file.
